Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast: 326 2014 Holiday Spectacular

December 17, 2014 8:52 PM

Ho! Ho! Ho! It's the year end holiday episode of Comedy Bean Bag with music from The Both (Aimee Mann & Ted Leo) and guests galore! Director of the Underworld series, Len Wiseman is back for the CBB festivities that will include visits from some spooky ghosts, a naughty elf, and much more.

Starring:

Aimee Mann
Ted Leo
Paul F. Tompkins
Brendon Small
James Adomian
Lauren Lapkus
Matt Besser
Matt Gourley
Neil Campbell

posted by Room 641-A (12 comments total)

I missed his other appearance, but Len Wiseman killed me. KILLED. ME.
posted by Room 641-A at 8:54 PM on December 17, 2014 [2 favorites]

This was a GOAT contender just for Besser-as-Bjork's reading of The Little Drummer Boy, even before Ho-Ho showed up.
posted by gerryblog at 10:12 PM on December 17, 2014 [1 favorite]

The lineup in this episode is unbelievable. These are most of my favorite performers, and having them appear one-by-one without knowing who was coming up was a real treat. It's almost like Aukerman asked me personally who I would put in an ideal show. Great energy too. (PFT and Adomian's background laughter keeps it elevated.)

I've been waiting for Gourley to play Ian Fleming on CBB for a while now. I think I like Gourley's Fleming even more than Gourley's Giger. He's played him on a number of James Bonding episodes, and his recent appearance on The Dead Author's Podcast was probably the single best episode of that show. You can hear Fleming say a little "rousing!" after Aimee and Ted close the show with a final song, which gives slip that there's a lot of editing in this episode and that there are a lot of times when Aimee and Ted aren't really there even when Scott addresses them.

Lapkus's Ho Ho was the highlight. Her new podcast has been a little disappointing. Traci Rearden is the only full-bodied character she does; the others are just character sketches that can't really hold the focus of a podcast. But I hope she does an episode with Ho Ho, because Ho Ho was hilarious.
posted by painquale at 3:25 AM on December 18, 2014 [1 favorite]

Anytime Adomian and Tompkins play off each other, it's a slice of fried gold.

And I cannot be the only person who really likes Adomian's Orson Welles.
posted by grubi at 8:50 AM on December 18, 2014

I think I like Gourley's Fleming even more than Gourley's Giger.

Same here.
posted by grubi at 8:51 AM on December 18, 2014

I missed his other appearance, but Len Wiseman killed me. KILLED. ME.

Len Wiseman is the MarinCupertino hot tub version of Garry Marshall.
posted by zippy at 3:51 PM on December 18, 2014

Go fighting computers!

The best part was at first I thought it was just that, a new character. Then when I googled him I see this guy, and I'm like, that guy isn't Len Wiseman. I love that he decided to go all in.
posted by Room 641-A at 4:08 PM on December 18, 2014

Ho Ho may be the funniest LL character. Orson Welles may be my least favorite JA character (ie I only really like him rather than die laughing like The Mind or Heull).
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:06 AM on December 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

This is the first episode of Comedy Bang Bang I've ever heard, and now I understand so much more about the west coast comedy scene.

I went to see a favorite comedian of mine last summer and whenever he'd launch into a strange new character on stage, people would erupt in applause and I had no idea where the recognition was coming from and of course it turns out he's been on a bunch of CBB episodes doing bits.

(Also, I seriously thought Ho Ho was Rachel Dratch doing the voice)
posted by mathowie at 7:57 AM on December 22, 2014

If Lauren Lapkus didn't exist, Ho Ho was born to be played by Jenny Slate.

But Lauren Lapkus exists.

Ho Ho!
posted by mysticreferee at 10:15 AM on December 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

I went to see a favorite comedian of mine last summer

I'm trying to decide who this was... has to be PFT right? Can't be Adomian..he's known for impressions even outside of CBB, and nobody's favorite comedian is Neil Campbell. Wait, was it Thomas Lennon??
posted by Potomac Avenue at 1:09 PM on December 23, 2014

I want Len Wiseman to interview Natasha Lyonne.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:05 PM on December 23, 2014